Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-04-30

Il
crept over her.
You are right. Tonight I became
the murderer OF Fred Warner"
Fred Warner is my husband, and
1 was on the river listening to his
voice" she said, in the same calm
! tone.
7 You will listen to his voice TO
more. The woman that he broug ht
V to Rocky Hill is my wife"
/ And then Muriel knew the name. OF
\ the man who had rowed her boat .hat
4 night.
| 1t was Ralph Ressecuie, the b anker
and the millionaire, whose hor ne and
happiness her husband had ruined.
She had never met him before but
she had heard often OF his generosity
and great wealth.
God have mercy tonight upon four
ofhis miserable Great ures," she said,
still camiy.
Three" corrected Resseguie. grim.
ly. "Murie Warner. L know the ell
tire history OF your life. Learned it
while was hunting your husband
down. ask no sympathy. | have
done deliberate murder. | do not
wish yc'uto conceal the ~ ode OF my
escape. Fred Warner we.s your hus-
band. He would have returned to
you after a time. have made this i'm
possible. You have neither home nor
friends. | have money, the accursed
stl I'll with which have bought my
fal Sc wife. In II short time | shall
he hung for this murder. have no
relEtives on whom to bsstow my
wealth. 1t will all 90 to strangers.
A ccept this packet, then; it is yours to
d o with rs you think best, and | can
n ot but be thankful for the chance
vfhicn has thrown you in my wav."
a packet dropped into Muriel War
,,er's zap as these words were spoken.
The boat rocked slightly rs the tall
figure sprang upon the shore, and then
she was alone in the darkness upon
the river.
After this she wandered about the
world, a woman whose life and feelings
seemed benumbed forever. She knew
what had happened at Rocky Hill, but
had no desire to return there and gaze
upon the dead face of hea. husband.
She had no wish to return to the
friends who had grown cold when mis-
fortune came upon her. She knew
that Ralph ResSeguie had made her a
wealthy woman, but she felt none OF
the scrNples which she once would
have felt about accepting his money
She never spoke OF that night in the
boat to any with whom she came in
contact. She never heard whether
Ralph Resseguie was captured or not.
She never knew what became of his
miserable wife.
Her past life seemed halfforgotten
dream, and she was only dimly con-
scious of the reality OF anything.
At thirtyfive years OF age Muriel
Warner was q beautiful and cultured
woman. She had visited nearly all OF
the countries of the Old World. Ac-
quaintances she made, but very few
friends, and these often wondered when
in reply to their inquiries she would
say:
81 never read a newspaper. never
write nor receive letter.
But her time ofawakening came, and
the one 10 stir the dormant emotions
of her goman's heart was q stranger
and u man.
1t was at the Bahama Islands wher
he was forty years OF age-a Her0I-
les IN the fullness Of his manhood, and
seemed to be attracted, nay, to lore
her from the very first.
Her deep blue eyes soon grew to
watch for him, and became soft asld
tender beneath the light in his dark
ones, and with the growth of her new
love many OF the feelings OF her youth
came back TO her
Father and mother. long forgotten,
became dear once more to her, and Oft
en- she caught herself thinking.
IF he ever speaks, and if after I
have told him all, we are ever mar.
rie'i, will get HIM to take me home-to
my parents"
But he did not speak. Weeks grew
into months, and the longed-for-love.
words never came. Murieps lseart
again began quivering with pain. She
knew not that its numbness had de-
parted forever.
Sometimes she felt that she ought
to move on; to get away from !nilu-
ences which more than likely wouh
prove saddening to her. but she could
not at once bring herself TO do this
While she was debating the subject
in her mind the crisis came.
A storm had been sweeping over the
Bahamas, a vessel was going TO pieces
upon the reef. Muriel was out upon
the wave-wasted shore, hereyes bright
and her cheeks rosy with excitement.
Her golden brown hair had been loos-
ened by the driving wind, and she
was that rare but deliciouscreature,
woman beautiful when she is mature.
Norman Van Ness was bv her side.
and Muriel expressed n wish 60 row
out near to the life-saving boats which
were battling with the waves, and
overladen with human beings whom
they had rescued in p half drowned
state.
"Let me be your boatMan." plead
ed Van Ness, and Muriel could not re-
press her thoughts which whispered to
her OF that long forgotten night when
her husbands murderer had been her !
boatman.
The strong man took his place at F.
the oars. Out over the waters they
rowed together, the dreadful past ris-
ing so strong before the woman that .
she had no thought OF the man so near .
her.
"Muriei," said he. in a. low voIce:
"Muriel. Muriel, | love you, but Ihave /
no right to say these words 20 you. I
Muriel, have you never thought that I